Honghuang: My understanding is beyond belief. I am the first immortal of Jiejiao.

"Your Majesty!"

Several jackal spirits emerged from the bushes, holding blood-stained bundles and fawning over them.

"As you instructed, there are no more living hunters within a hundred miles."

Two streams of white vapor shot out from Pigsy's nose.

Ever since being recruited to Yunzhan Cave three years ago, the female demon named Luan Erjie has always tried to use gentleness to wear down its ferocity.

Unfortunately, she never understood until her death that some hatred cannot be resolved by sexual pleasure. Just like this morning when she discovered that her daughter had secretly added forgetfulness powder to her drink, she did not hesitate at all when she snapped her neck.

"Load the gold and silver from the cave onto the carts."

It kicked away the human skull at its feet.

"Today I'm going to visit some old friends down the mountain."

When the evil wind, carrying the stench of blood, swept across the wheat fields, all the dogs in Wangjia Village huddled in their kennels, trembling.

Zhu Ganglie stood before the wooden stake where he had been tied up and slaughtered years ago, the tip of his rake plunging into the soil and bringing out a dark red sediment.

It remembered that snowy night, how the butcher's knife first pierced its brothers' and sisters' throats, and how he laughed as it screamed in agony.

"come out!"

The demonic energy caused the roof of the thatched hut to rattle.

"Butcher Wang! Headhunter Li! You!"

Instead, several emaciated children burst out of the door.

The largest one held a rusty woodcutter's knife, its trembling blade aimed at its hairy chest.

Zhu Ganglie was suddenly stunned. In the eyes of these children, what was the difference between him and the humans who had wielded the butcher's knife back then?
The wooden bucket beside the well was overturned by the demonic energy, and its hideous reflection was seen in the swaying water.

Pigsy staggered back two steps, the rake scraping against the bluestone slab with a harsh sound.

It finally realized that it didn't hate these mortals, but rather the one who turned it into a monster.
"Taishang Laojun."

An aged voice came from behind.

"What you really want to tear apart is that person's Tai Chi robe, isn't it?"

Pigsy suddenly turned around, and the gust of wind generated by his rake shaved off a corner of the well rim.

A young man in a dark green robe stood under the locust tree, the bronze shackles hanging from his waist jingling.

With just one glance, its knees involuntarily sank into the mud. This attire is unique in the Three Realms; it belongs to Lin Zhu, the prison god in charge of the Heavenly Prison.

"interesting."

Lin Zhu used his toes to lift Zhu Ganglie's chin.

"The last time I saw you kneel so readily was when Chang'e pointed a jade hairpin at your throat."

Upon hearing that name, Zhu Bajie's bristles stood on end.

But unexpectedly, this time what surged in my heart was not desire, but an overwhelming sense of grievance.

Its forehead slammed heavily against the ground, and its tears washed two deep furrows into the soil.

"I know my sins, but what about the osmanthus wine from the Moon Palace that night?"

Outside the Cloud Stack Cave, a cold wind howled. Pigsy huddled deep in the damp cave, his nine-toothed rake stuck diagonally in a crevice, covered in rust.

His half-human, half-pig face looked particularly grotesque under the dim oil lamp, while large tears kept rolling down his cloudy eyes.

"Why...why did it turn out like this?"

His rough claws scratched at his chest, where there was a wound that would never heal—the one that Chang'e herself had pierced.

Footsteps sounded outside the cave, and Pigsy suddenly raised his head, baring his tusks.

"Who?!"

"it's me."

A clear voice rang out, and Lin Zhu, holding a jade staff and dressed in flowing white robes, stood at the cave entrance.

He was surrounded by a faint golden light, clearly indicating that he had reached the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm.

Zhu Ganglie's snout twitched twice, then he suddenly knelt down, his nine-foot-tall body crashing onto the stone ground.

"Immortal Lin! Please save me!"

Lin Zhu sighed softly, tapped his fingertips, and a gentle breeze lifted Zhu Ganglie up.

"Why must the Marshal perform such a grand ceremony?"

"marshal?"

Zhu Ganglie let out a miserable laugh, his pig face contorted with muscles.

"What marshal am I now! I'm just a pig demon that everyone hates!"

He suddenly grabbed Lin Zhu's sleeve.

"Immortal, you know my past. Please help me hide my identity and disappear! I can't take it anymore!"

Lin Zhu stared at the pained face, and the mission that the system had just issued to awaken the three Journey to the West brothers flashed through his mind.

He flicked his sleeve, and the cave was instantly illuminated as if it were daytime. Stone tables and benches appeared out of thin air, and a pot of tea steamed with wisps of heat.

"sit."

Lin Zhu sat down first and poured a cup of tea for Zhu Ganglie.

"Tell me, why did you suddenly decide to retire?"

Zhu Ganglie awkwardly held the teacup, the tea spilling continuously from his trembling hands.

"I...I regret it."

His voice was hoarse.

"Back when I was just a mortal, though I had no destiny to become an immortal, I was able to enjoy family life with my parents. Later, Laozi enlightened me, saying that the Peach Banquet would bring me great fortune."

His eyes became unfocused, as if he had returned to the past.

"I believed it, and I cultivated diligently, finally joining the ranks of immortals and becoming Marshal Tianpeng. But what was the result?"

Pigsy suddenly flew into a rage and smashed the stone table with a punch.

"I harassed Chang'e while drunk? Bullshit! I didn't drink a drop! Someone framed me!"

Lin Zhu calmly repaired the stone table and said softly.

"and then?"

"Then?"

Pigsy collapsed to the ground in despair.

"Then I was banished to the mortal realm, but mistakenly reincarnated as a pig. When I awoke, I found myself transformed into this state. I went mad, truly mad. I returned to my mortal home, only to discover that my parents had long since passed away. I wept bitterly at their graves, which attracted the villagers. They threw stones at me, calling me a monster."

Zhu Ganglie's tears mixed with snot streamed down his face.

"I...I lost control. When I came to my senses, the entire village...the entire village was wiped out."

He covered his face and let out a wild howl.

"I personally killed those who might have been my relatives."

Lin Zhu listened quietly, and only spoke slowly after Zhu Ganglie's emotions had calmed down a bit.

"Marshal, have you ever considered why all of this is such a coincidence?"

Pigsy suddenly raised his head.

"What do you mean?"

"You were originally a mortal, yet suddenly you attained immortality; you rose to the rank of Tianpeng, yet suddenly you were punished; you were mistakenly reborn as a pig, yet you just happened to return to your hometown."

Golden light shimmered in Lin Zhu's eyes.

"Isn't this perfect, with each step seamlessly connected to the next?"

Zhu Ganglie's breathing became heavy.

"You mean someone set me up?"

Lin Zhu nodded.

"It's not someone, it's the will of Heaven. You are the one destined for this calamity, Zhu Ganglie."

"A calamity?"

Zhu Ganglie repeated blankly.

"In the Western Continent of Hezhou, the Buddha Tathagata wishes to spread his teachings to the Eastern Land, and therefore needs a person to retrieve the scriptures."

Lin Zhu's voice was calm, yet every word was like thunder.

"The Heavenly Court and Buddhism have reached an agreement to arrange several 'demons' as disciples for the pilgrim. And you are the one chosen."

Zhu Ganglie was struck dumb, standing there as if by lightning.

Lin Zhu continued.

"Laozi will be responsible for pushing you through tribulations, first making you an immortal and enjoying glory, and then making you fall into the dust. Every bit of pain you experience is part of the plan until you are completely desperate, at which point Buddhism will step in to 'save' you and make you willingly become a member of the pilgrimage team."

"No, it's impossible."

Pigsy staggered backward and crashed into the stone wall.

"How could a saint be so cruel? Wasn't Buddha supposed to be compassionate?"

Lin Zhu sneered.

"Compassion? Marshal, you've been in the Heavenly Court for so many years, don't you understand? So-called gods and immortals are nothing but pawns in the workings of the Heavenly Way. Below the sages, all are but ants."

Pigsy suddenly sprang up, his nine-toothed rake whistling as it smashed down on the bamboo grove.

"You lied to me!"

Lin Zhu neither dodged nor flinched; the rake was blocked by an invisible barrier three inches away from him.

Pigsy wildly brandished his weapon, sending rocks flying through the cave.

"What 'destined one'! What 'pilgrimage team'! I don't recognize them! I'm going to storm the Heavenly Court and demand an explanation from Laozi!"

"You can't do it."

Lin Zhu's voice pierced through Zhu Ganglie's roar. "Why do you think you've survived until now? If it weren't for the Heavenly Court's tacit approval, any one of the Heavenly Generals could have annihilated you, body and soul. You're alive precisely because your destiny is not yet complete."

Pigsy suddenly stopped, panting heavily.

"Then what should I do?"

"Accept your fate and wait for the pilgrim."

Lin Zhu said calmly.

"This is your only way to survive."

"fart!"

The pig's fangs were fully exposed.

"I'd rather die than be their puppet!"

Hope suddenly appeared in his eyes.

"Immortal Lin, since you know so much, you must have a way to help me, right?"

Lin Zhu remained silent for a moment, then shook his head.

"Although I am a Great Golden Immortal, in the eyes of a sage I am nothing more than a slightly larger pawn. I cannot help you."

Zhu Ganglie knelt down in despair, then suddenly jumped up again.

"No! I don't believe in fate! I was able to cultivate from a mortal to a Golden Immortal back then, and I can defy fate now!"

A mad light ignited in his eyes.

"I'm going to find Patriarch Bodhi, I'm going to find Zhen Yuanzi, there must be a saint who will be willing to help me!"

Lin Zhu sighed.

"Don't you understand? This is your 'fate.' You will resist, you will struggle, you will try all sorts of methods, but ultimately..."

"What happened in the end?"

Zhu Ganglie stared intently at Lin Zhu.

"In the end, you will still follow the predetermined path."

Lin Zhu's eyes were filled with pity.

"Because this is the way of Heaven."

Pigsy laughed loudly, his laughter filled with madness.

"What a divine will! What a sage! I, Zhu Ganglie, hereby swear that if that day ever comes, I will make all these immortals and Buddhas pay the price!"

Lin Zhu fell silent as a system notification sounded in his mind.

[Task complete. Awaken Pigsy]

[Rewards awarded. The time for the Yellow Plum fruit to ripen has been accelerated by a million times. One set of Yellow Plum fruits and one billion years of cultivation have been obtained.]

A vast power surged into his body, and Lin Zhu felt his Purple Mansion tremble and his primordial spirit sublimate.

His cultivation level instantly broke through from the early stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal to the late stage, and he was only one step away from becoming a Quasi-Saint.

Lin Zhu sat cross-legged on the jade bed in the cave, surrounded by spiritual energy.

He looked inward at his dantian and saw a golden elixir spinning inside, emitting a faint golden light.

"Late stage of Golden Core, just one step away from Nascent Soul."

Lin Zhu nodded in satisfaction and then brought up the system panel.

[Host: Lin Zhu]

[Realm Level: Late Golden Core Stage]

[Technique. Nine Revolutions Profound Technique (Third Revolution)]

[Magic Treasures: Qingping Sword (Imitation), Xuanhuang Pagoda (Fragment)]

[Supernatural Abilities: Five Elements Escape Technique, Heavenly Eye, Universe Within a Sleeve]

"System, what level is my current strength in the primordial world?"

Lin Zhu asked in his heart.

[Ding! The host's current strength is equivalent to that of an ordinary Heavenly General in the Heavenly Court. It is recommended to advance to the Nascent Soul stage as soon as possible.]

Lin Zhu pursed his lips and took out a set of Huangzhong plum fruits from his storage ring.

Nine fruits floated in the air, three of them deep purple and six pale gold, emitting an enticing fragrance and powerful spiritual energy fluctuations.

"The purple fruit can allow immortals to ascend to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, while the golden fruit can allow mortals to instantly become immortals."

Lin Zhu rubbed his chin.

"If I take it all, I'm afraid I can break through to the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm directly."

[Ding! Detected that the Yellow Plum fruit can be converted into three thousand years of cultivation. Convert?]

Lin Zhu hesitated for a moment, but quickly shook his head.

"No. I still have a great use for these fruits."

He thought of the gentle and graceful woman, Zixia, the seventh princess of Heaven.

The two met at the Peach Banquet and fell in love at first sight.

Although the Heavenly Court is unaware of this yet, he has already decided to ask to marry this fairy.

"The betrothal gifts must not be meager."

Lin Zhu smiled and put the fruit back into her storage ring.

"Three purple fruits are enough to advance three Golden Immortals to the Great Luo realm. Even the Jade Emperor would be tempted by such a betrothal gift, right?"

[Ding! An anomaly in the Heavenly Dao has been detected. Jin Chanzi is about to be reincarnated in the Southern Continent. Please proceed to make arrangements. Mission reward: Unknown]

Lin Zhu suddenly stood up, his eyes flashing with a sharp light.

"Jin Chanzi? Isn't that Tang Sanzang's previous incarnation? Is the Journey to the West about to begin?"

He quickly calculated with his fingers, but felt that the secrets of heaven were chaotic and difficult to grasp.

"System, where exactly is it located?"

[Southern Jambudvipa, outside Chang'an City, time: midnight three days later]

Lin Zhu waved his hand and dispelled the restrictions on the cave.

"Let's go to Jambudvipa! I want to see what kind of storm I can stir up in this great calamity of the Journey to the West!"

He used the Five Elements Escape Technique, transforming into a streak of blue light and disappearing into the horizon.

Meanwhile, in the Western Paradise, at the Great Thunder Temple.

The Buddha sits high on a nine-tiered lotus throne, expounding the Diamond Sutra.

Suddenly, he frowned and stopped preaching.

The bodhisattvas, arhats, and monks below were all astonished.

Guanyin Bodhisattva, holding a vase, asked softly.

"Venerable One, is there anything unusual?"

The Buddha closed his eyes and began to calculate, his expression gradually darkening.

His fingers flew across the paper, but the more he calculated, the more alarmed he became. The secrets of heaven were in complete disarray, and a major turning point in the Journey to the West was about to change!

"Amitabha."

The Buddha opened his eyes, his voice booming.

"Starting today, begin preparations for the Ullambana Festival."

Everyone was greatly surprised. Manjushri Bodhisattva put his palms together and asked a question.

"Venerable One, the Ullambana Festival was originally scheduled to be held fifty years later. Why was it suddenly brought forward?"

The Buddha's gaze was profound.

"The secrets of heaven may change, so we must be on guard."

Guanyin and Manjushri exchanged a glance and both saw the shock in each other's eyes.

They knew that for the Buddha to lose his composure like this, there must be something wrong with the Journey to the West plan.

The Buddha looked around at the crowd and spoke slowly.

"Today we will expound on the profound scriptures of the Mahayana Buddhist canon."

As soon as this statement came out, the whole audience was in an uproar.

The Mahayana Buddhist Tripitaka is a fundamental Buddhist scripture, and it is rarely preached in daily life.

Ignoring the crowd's astonishment, the Buddha began to preach.

In an instant, flowers rained down from the sky and golden lotuses sprang from the ground within the Great Thunderclap Temple, and Buddha's light shone for three thousand miles.

Three hours later, the sermon was finished.

Looking at the thoughtful crowd, Buddha suddenly asked a question.

Do you all know what merit is?

Maitreya Buddha said with a smile.

"To help all sentient beings is to perform meritorious deeds."

The Buddha nodded.

"Indeed. I possess the Mahayana Buddhist Tripitaka, which can help the deceased ascend to heaven, deliver those in distress from suffering, cultivate an immeasurable lifespan, and achieve a state of no coming and no going."

Guanyin asked at the opportune moment.

"World Honored One, is it possible for you to transmit such wondrous teachings to us?"

Buddha shook his head.

"Passing this on to you is but a small act of merit." (End of Chapter)